Power driven rotary snow remover



Jan. 16, 1968 H. c. OBER 3,363,345

POWER DRIVEN ROTARY SNOW REMOVER Filed Sept. 28, 1964 v s Sheets-Sheet 1 a, QATTGENEY.

Jan.l6, 1968 I H. c. OBER 3,363,345

' POWER DRIVEN ROTARY SNOW REMOVER Filed Sept. 28, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F 3 W j WK.

Jan. 16, 1968 H. c. OBER 3,363,345

POWER DRIVEN ROTARY SNOW REMOVER Filed Sept. 28, 1964 s Sheets-Sheet 5 w l V o United States Patent O 3,363,345 POWER DRIVEN ROTARY SNOW REMOVER Howard C. Ober, 1180 Croydon Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44124 Filed Sept. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 399,619 3 Claims. (Cl. 3743) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The snow remover comprises a wheel supported carriage 1 having a rotary impeller 35 about which extends peripherally a forwardly open scoop or shell 30, and arranged so that upon rotation of the impeller and advance of the carriage the snow is pushed to a center discharge wall 41 of the impeller and thrown upwardly by centrifugal force into a chute 50 leading from the scoop. The chute has side openings 53 having their bottom edges spaced a substantial distance above the scoop. A deflector 54, instantaneously shiftable by handle 57 which can be operated by the operator while in a position for manipulating the snow remover, is provided so as to instantly deect the snow to one side or the other, selectively.

The invention is particularly characterized by the fact that the chute 50 is open at the front from the bottom edges of the side openings 53 downwardly to and through the top of the scoop 30, and the upper portion of the scoop 30 is interrupted for the width of the forward open front of the chute, thereby to permit any snow falling forwardly out of the chute to fall freely down into the path of the wall 41 instead of accumulating on the scoop in front of the chute. The openings of the chute are such that, at all portions along its length from the upper part of the scoop 30 to the top of the side openings 53, the snow is totally unconfined at at least one full face of the chute so that any accumulation of snow in the chute can readily be dislodged and the build-up of snow and ice between the open front of the chute and the forward edge of the scoop 30 is prevented.

A door 60 is provided for opening and closing the open lower front of the chute. The chute functions with the door closed to discharge snow laterally.

This invention relates to a power driven rotary snow remover and particularly to the type of snow remover which is arranged to be moved forwardly along a snow covered surface so as to cause the snow on the surface to be engaged by a power driven auger and moved thereby to a discharge position and discharged laterally of the snow remover.

Snow removers heretofore provided generally comprise a carriage which is movable forwardly and which carries a forwardly exposed rotary impeller which engages and removes the snow. In one type, the rotary impeller is arranged for rotation about an axis extending generally forwardly and rearwardly of the carriage. In others, the rotary impeller is rotatable about an axis extending generally transversely of the carriage.

The present invention is one of the latter type and is arranged so as to cause more positive and eflicient removal of the snow from the surface and better control of the discharge thereof from the rotary impeller.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a snow remover employing a rotary impeller which is rotatable about an axis extending transversely of the carriage and which moves the snow into position at the midportion of the carriage and, by centrifugal force, throws the snow through a suitable discharge chute which is arranged so that it can cause the snow to discharge to one side or the other of the carriage, selectively.

Another object resides in the manner in which the chute is arranged so that clogging of the chute in the case of very wet snow is prevented.

Another object is to remove the snow, regardless of its condition, by moving it transversely of the carriage by a rotary impeller to a compacting wall at the transverse midportion of the carriage to compact the snow at this wall and then throw it out as a more nearly solid mass, whereby greater centrifugal forces are obtained and more effective discharge is provided, as distinguished from blowing incompacted snow out by air.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the snow remover embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the snow remover illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a left end elevation of the snow remover illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, part thereof being shown in section for clearness in illustration;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the auger on a reduced scale.

Referring to the drawings, the snow remover comprises a carriage 1 supported on rear driving wheels 2, and provided with handle bars 3 for manipulation by the operator. If desired, front depth controlling wheels 4 may be provided. Idler wheels 5 are mounted rearwardly of the wheel 2 so that, by bearing down on the handle bars 3, the driving wheels 2 can be lifted clear of the ground, thereby facilitating pulling the carriage backward. If desired, suitable plates 6 with teeth thereon may be mounted on the driving wheel for affording better traction with the ground or surface.

Mounted on the carriage is an internal combustion engine 7 which is enclosed by the hood 8 and which provides the power means for propelling the carriage along the ground and for operating a rotary snow removing impeller, later to be described.

The engine 7 is provided with a suitable drive pulley 9 which, by means of belt 10, is drivingly connected to a driven pulley 11. The driven pulley '11 is mounted on a shaft 12 which, through a sprocket 13 and chain 14, drives a sprocket 15 and thereby a rotary shaft 16. The rotary shaft 16 is arranged to drive the rotary impeller of the snow remover. The shaft 16 also drives a sprocket 18 and, in turn, through a chain 19 a sprocket 20. The sprocket 20 drives a jack shaft 21 and thereby a sprocket 22. The sprocket 22 drives a chain 23 which drives a sprocket 24 mounted on and rotatable with a main drive shaft 25 of the wheels 2. With the arrangement described, the carriage can be propelled forwardly by the engine 7.

A shell scoop, or housing, 39 is mounted on the carriage 1. The housing is open at the front and has a peripheral wall 31 and end walls 32 which are disposed at the sides of the carriage. The peripheral wall 31 has a lower forward edge 33 which is closely adjacent the ground level and beneath the path of the impeller. The peripheral wall extends rearwardly from the edge 33 and upwardly and forwardly.

Mounted on the carriage for rotation about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the carriage is a snow removing impeller or anger 35. The impeller 35 comprises a central tubular body 36 which is mounted on the shaft 16 for rotation therewith. The shaft 16, in turn, is mounted in suitable bearings 37 carried by the end walls 32.

The impeller or auger 35 has spiral walls 38 which extend from opposite ends of the body 36 laterally toward the midportion thereof. The walls 38 preferabiy are arranged to extend edgewise outwardly from the body 36 and are imperforate throughout their lengths. The walls 38 are pitched in opposite directions so that their spiral surfaces converge at their inner ends. Their leading outer ends are spaced apart the width of the housing 30 so as to admit snow therebetween as the carriage is moved forwardly. The walls 38 are arranged so that their innermost or trailing ends 49 feed snow transversely of. the carriage onto a discharge wall 41. The discharge wall 41 extends outwardly from the body preferably about radially, and lies in a plane through the axis of rotation of the impeller.

In the form illustrated two sets of walls 38, each set having an associated discharge wall 41, are provided. The sets are circumferentially spaced, the leading edges 39 of the walls 38 of one set lying in or close to, a radial plane through the axis of rotation of the impeller and the plane of the trailing edges 49 of the other set. Thus the discharge walls 41 are arranged 180 apart from each other.

The impeller is disposed within the shell or housing 30 so that the lower periphery of the impeller is closely adjacent the lower edge 33. The peripheral wall 31 of the housing 39 extends rearwardly from said edge about the rear periphery of the impeller and in closely spaced relation to the rear periphery. The wall 31 terminates near the top of the rear portion of the impeller, in an upturned flange portion 44.

The discharge wall 41 is preferably at the longitudinal midportion of the impeller. The peripheral wall 31 of the housing 30 has a discharge. opening 46 arranged at the rear of the impeller and preferably extending from near a horizontal plane through the axis of rotation upwardly. The discharge opening 46 is aligned axially of the impeller at the path of rotation of the discharge walls 41. Thus upon rotation of the impeller as the carriage advances into the snow, the snow is moved by the walls 38 inwardly transversely of the carriage 1 toward the midportion of the impeller onto the walls 41 whereon it is compacted by the auger action. When on the walls 41, the compacted snow is urged outwardly by the centrifugal force against the peripheral Wall 31. Hence, as the compacted snow reaches the opening 46, it is thrown outwardly therethrough. Since the snow is in the form of a' relatively compact mass, the centrifugal force is large enough to impart considerable momentum to the mass.

Mounted on the carriage is a discharge chute 50 which extends generally tangentially of the impeller 35 and preferably generally upwardly and slightly forwardly, as illustrated in FIGURE 3. The chute 50 has an inlet end 51 aligned with and in communication with the outlet opening 46 of the wall 31. The chute 50 is closed at the top by a V-shaped wall 52. The chute 50 is open at opposite sides near the top, as indicated at 53, so that the snow passing upwardly through the chute can normally be deflected and discharged in both directions transversely of the carriage. However, it is desirable that the snow be discharged only to one side or the other, selectively, preferably to the lee of the carriage. For this purpose, a deflector 54 is mounted in the chute 50 for movement to positions so that it can form with the walls of the chute a continuation of the chute passage from the inlet opening 51 to the selected discharge opening. The deflector 54 is mounted on, and for rotation with, a shaft 55 and is biased by a dead-center spring 56 so that it will lie against the one of the lateral walls of the chute against which it is swung. The force of the outcoming compacted snow urges it even more firmly against the side wall of the chute against which it has been disposed. Thus together with the walls of the chute walls, it forms a continuation of a relatively free passage from inlet 51 of the chute to the selected discharge opening.

The shaft 55 is provided with a handle 57 which extends to the rear of the carriage in a position for manipulation by an operator while the operator is in a position for manipulating the handle bars.

It sometimes happens, particularly in the case of exceedingly wet snow, that the chute occasionally will tend to be clogged by snow near its inlet. When this happens,

it is desirable to relieve the clogging so as to obtain proper carries a detent 64 which cooperates with suitable latch I notches in a latching and bearing member 65. The wall 69 may be swung upwardly and forwardly the amount desired by pressing the shaft axially against the force of the spring 62 to remove the detent 64 from the latch notches 65. When swung to the desired position, the shaft is allowed to be returned axially by its spring so that the detent engages with a selected notch 65 and holds the wall6i] in selected position. Thus the snow remover can be operated with the wall 60 in fully closed position or fully open position, depending upon which position would be best for the particular conditions of the snow. The shaft 63 can be manipulated by an operator at the rear of the carriage.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the movable wall 60 is of less width and length than the width and length of the open front portion of the chute, wherefore the movable wall can be swung through the open front end of the chute to a position within the chute.

Thus, in operation, all that is necessary for removing snow is to permit the engine to drive the carriage 1 forwardly so that the open front end of the housing 30 is moved into the accumulated snow. Thereupon, the snow is engaged by the impeller and caused thereby to move toward the lateral midportion of the carriage, this 1 movement continuing until the snow is disposed on the discharge wall 41. Upon reaching the discharge wall, the snow is urged outwardly against the peripheral wall 31 of the housing 30. Thereby the snow is concurrently compacted by the lateral feed of the spiral walls 38 and the centrifugal force urging it against the wall 31 so that when the wall 41 reaches the opening 46 in the Wall 31 the compacted snow is thrown outwardly into the chute with considerable force.

The dynamic inertia of the compact mass, assisted by the oncoming mass from the discharge wall 41, assures that the snow will pass out of the chute with sufiicient velocity to carry it a considerable distance clear of the carriage.

By providing two sets of circumferentially spaced dis-.

charge walls 41, each with its spiral walls 38, there is an almost continuous flow of compacted snow upwardly and outwardly of the chute, the snow being discharged to either side of the carriage, depending upon the setting of the deflector 54. If desired, supplemental deflectors 66 may be provided at the outlets of the chute 50'for controlling the trajectory of the discharging snow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A snow remover comprising a carriage;

a scoop housing on the carriage, said housing having an open front and a lower forward edge adjacent the ground level for permitting entry of snow through said open front over said edge as the carriage is propelled forwardly;

a rotary impeller;

means supporting the impeller for rotation about a horizontal axis extending laterally of the carriage and with the lower periphery of the impeller passing near the level of said lower edge;

said housing having a peripheral wall extending, peripherally of the impeller, from said lower edge about the rear of the impeller to a location above the top portion of the impeller, and extending endwise of the impeller to the ends thereof, said housing having side walls at the ends of the impeller;

power means for rotating the impeller about its axis;

impelling means on the impeller and rotatable therewith about the axis of rotation of the impeller to 5 cause snow with which they engage, upon forward movement of the carriage during rotation of the impeller, to move inwardly endwise of the impeller from both ends;

said impeller having a discharge wall near its axial midportion for receiving snow so moved by the impelling means, said wall being rotatable with the impeller about said axis;

said discharge wall extending outwardly from said axis of rotation of the impeller for urging snow thereon to move outwardly from said axis by centrifugal force;

the improvement wherein:

a discharge chute substantially co-extensive in width axially of the impeller with the impeller discharge Wall is provided and has a rear wall extending from, and substantially tangential to, said peripheral wall in fixed position relative thereto, said chute is open at the front for substantially its full width from a predetermined location spaced a substantial distance above said peripheral wall downwardly to said peripheral wall;

the said chute is open at each side from near said predetermined location upwardly for substantially the full forward and rearward dimensions of the side of 30 the chute so that snow passing through the chute is substantially unconfined at at least one face of the chute at all locations from the bottom of the chute to the top of the open portions of the sides, the forward face of the chute is disposed rearwardly from the upper front edge of the peripheral wall so that the bottom of the open portion of the chute is rearwardly from the upper front edge of the periph- 6 eral wall, and said peripheral wall is interrupted in front of the chute for substantially the full width of the chute and from the front of the chute forwardly so as to provide a relatively free opening through the peripheral wall in alignment with the upper portion of the path of the discharge wall.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein a movable wall is mounted at the front of the chute for movement to predetermined operating positions selectively, including open and closed positions with respect to the open portion of the front of the chute, and said open positions being such that the path for snow from the open portion of the front of the chute to the impeller therebeneath is unobstructed by the said movable wall.

3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein said movable wall is mounted on a shaft located at the top of the open portion of the front of the chute for swinging to said operating positions, and said movable wall is of slightly less Width than the width of the chute so that it can be swung about its shaft axis from a position upwardly and forwardly of the front of the chute to a position into the chute through the open front.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,488,626 11/1949 Hansen 302-37 2,564,930 8/1951 Slavicek 30237 2,735,199 2/1956 Wanner et a1. 2,768,453 10/1956 Adams. 2,770,894 11/1956 Gettleman 3743 FOREIGN PATENTS 596,782 4/1960 Canada.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primal y Examiner.

R. L. HOLLISTER, Assistant Examiner. 

